Organic light emitting display device and method of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

An organic light emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same are proposed. The organic light emitting display device includes: a first film formed of an organic material, and having first and second surfaces facing each other and a third surface perpendicular to the first and second surfaces; a second film formed on the first film to cover the second and third surfaces of the first film; an organic light emitting unit disposed on the second film; a third film disposed on the second film to cover the organic light emitting unit; and a fourth film disposed on the third film, formed of an organic material, and having fourth and fifth surfaces facing each other, wherein the fifth surface faces the third film.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, andclaims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from an applicationearlier filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on 22 Mar. 2012and there duly assigned Serial No. 10-2012-0029393.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an organic light emitting displaydevice and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, toan organic light emitting display device capable of preventingpermeation of moisture, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Description of the Related Art

Since an organic light emitting display device has excellentcharacteristics in terms of viewing angle, contrast, response speed, andpower consumption, application ranges of the organic light emittingdisplay device are being increased from a personal portable device, suchas an MP3 player or a mobile phone, to a television (TV).

Also, the organic light emitting display device has a self-emittingcharacteristic, and has a thin thickness and light weight unlike aliquid crystal display device, since the organic light emitting displaydevice does not require a separate light source.

Such an organic light emitting display device may be flexible by using aplastic substrate. However, moisture permeability of the plasticsubstrate is too high, and thus a lifetime of the organic light emittingdisplay device may be decreased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided anorganic light emitting display device including: a first film formed ofan organic material, and having first and second surfaces facing eachother and a third surface perpendicular to the first and secondsurfaces; a second film formed on the first film to cover the second andthird surfaces of the first film; an organic light emitting unitdisposed on the second film; a third film disposed on the second filmand covering the organic light emitting unit; and a fourth film disposedon the third film, formed of an organic material, and having fourth andfifth surfaces facing each other, wherein the fifth surface faces thethird film.

The organic light emitting display device may further include a sidebarrier disposed on the second film and surrounding the organic lightemitting unit.

The side barrier may contact at least a side surface of the third film.

The side barrier may include a hybrid polymer.

The side barrier may form a closed loop.

The organic light emitting display device may further include a fifthfilm disposed between the fifth surface of the fourth film and the thirdfilm. The fifth film may include an inorganic layer.

The third film may include an adhesive.

The organic light emitting display device may further include a barrierbeing disposed between the third film and the organic light emittingunit to cover the organic light emitting unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device, themethod including: forming a first film on a first support substratewhere the first film includes an organic material, the first film havingfirst and second surfaces facing each other and a third surfaceperpendicular to the first and second surfaces such that the firstsurface faces the first support substrate; forming a second film on thefirst film to cover the second and third surfaces of the first film;forming an organic light emitting unit on the second film; forming athird film on the second film to cover the organic light emitting unit;forming a fourth film on a second support substrate where the fourthfilm includes an organic material, the fourth film having fourth andfifth surfaces facing each other, such that the fourth surface faces thesecond support substrate; combining the second support substrate to thefirst support substrate such that the fifth surface faces the thirdfilm; detaching the second support substrate from the fourth surface;and detaching the first support substrate from the first surface.

The method may further include forming a side barrier on the second filmto surround the organic light emitting unit.

The side barrier may be formed to contact at least a side surface of thethird film.

The side barrier may include a hybrid polymer.

The side barrier may form a closed loop.

The method may further include forming a fifth film on the fifth surfaceof the fourth film. The fifth film may include an inorganic layer.

The third film may include an adhesive.

The method may further include forming a barrier on the organic lightemitting unit to cover the organic light emitting unit.

The method may further include forming a de-bonding layer on a region ofthe second support substrate such that the region where the de-bondinglayer is formed has a wider area than a region corresponding to theorganic light emitting unit, wherein the detaching of the second supportsubstrate from the fourth surface may include applying a laser beam on aregion outside the region where the de-bonding layer is formed.

The method may further include forming a de-bonding layer on a region ofthe first support substrate such that the region where the de-bondinglayer is formed has a wider area than a region corresponding to theorganic light emitting unit, wherein the detaching of the first supportsubstrate from the first surface may include applying a laser beam on aregion outside the region where the de-bonding layer is formed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodimentsthereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an organic light emitting displaydevice according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial magnified cross-sectional view of a region II ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the organic light emitting display device ofFIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 through 12 are cross-sectional views for describing a method ofmanufacturing the organic light emitting display device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of FIG.12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodimentsof the invention are shown.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an organic light emitting displaydevice according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2is a partial magnified cross-sectional view of a region II of FIG. 1.

The organic light emitting display device according to the currentembodiment includes a first film 1, a second film 2, a third film 3, afourth film 4, and an organic light emitting unit 6.

The first film 1 is formed of an organic material, and may be atransparent or opaque plastic film. For example, the first film 1 may beformed of polyimide, i.e., a high thermal resistant organic materialusable even at 500° C.

The first film 1 includes a first surface 11 and a second surface 12facing each other. Also, the first film 1 includes a third surface 13perpendicular to the first and second surfaces 11 and 12. Referring toFIG. 1, the first surface 11 is a bottom surface, the second surface 12is a top surface, and the third surface 13 is a side surface.

The second film 2 is formed on the first film 1 such as to cover thesecond and third surfaces 12 and 13 of the first film 1. Accordingly,the first surface 11 of the first film 1 is not covered by the secondfilm 2 and is exposed. The second film 2 includes inorganic and organicmaterials to perform a barrier function on the first film 1.

The organic light emitting unit 6 is formed on the second film 2.

The third film 3 is disposed on the second film 2 such as to cover theorganic light emitting unit 6. The third film 3 may include an adhesive,such as a pressure sensitive adhesive. Alternatively, the third film 3may use a two-sided adhesive tape including a pressure sensitiveadhesive.

Also, the fourth film 4 is disposed on the third film 3. The fourth film4 is formed of an organic material, and may be a transparent or opaqueplastic film. For example, the fourth film 4 may be formed of polyimide.

The fourth film 4 has a fourth surface 41 and a fifth surface 42 facingeach other, wherein the fifth surface 42 is disposed to face the thirdfilm 3.

According to such a structure, the first film 1 constituting a lowersubstrate not only has the second surface 12 facing the organic lightemitting unit 6 but also the third surface 13 constituting a side, whichare covered by the second film 2, and thus permeation of oxygen andmoisture to the first film 1 may be effectively prevented.

Meanwhile, a fifth film 5 may be further disposed between the fifthsurface 42 of the fourth film 4 and the third film 3. The fifth film 5includes inorganic and organic materials, thereby preventing moisturepermeation and air permeation into the organic light emitting unit 6through the fourth film 4.

Also, a side barrier 7 may be further formed on the second film 2 tosurround the organic light emitting unit 6.

The side barrier 7 may contact a side surface 31 of the third film 3,and the side barrier 7 may prevent moisture permeation and airpermeation from the side surface 31 of the third film 3 to the organiclight emitting unit 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the side barrier 7 may surround the organic lightemitting unit 6 in a closed loop shape.

Also, the side barrier 7 may include a hybrid polymer, such as a hybridorganic/inorganic polymer, and in detail, an organosiloxane-based hybridorganic/inorganic polymer. The side barrier 7 may be formed of acompound containing methyltriethoxysilane and tetraethylorthosilicate.

The organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment ofthe present invention will now be described in detail with reference toFIG. 2.

First, the second film 2 formed on the second surface 12 of the firstfilm 1 may have a structure, in which a layer formed of an inorganicmaterial and a layer formed of an organic material are alternatelystacked in the form of multi-layers. For example, the second film 2 maybe formed on the second surface 12 of the first film 1 in a structurewherein a first layer 21, a second layer 22, and a third layer 23 aresequentially stacked on each other. Here, the first and third layers 21and 23 may include an inorganic material, such as silicon nitride,silicon oxide, or aluminum oxide, and the second layer 22 may include anorganic material, such as polyacrylate. Alternatively, the first andthird layers 21 and 23 may include an organic material, and the secondlayer 22 may include an inorganic material. Alternatively, the firstthrough third layers 21 through 23 may be formed of different type ofinorganic materials. The second film 2 may include a single or multipleinorganic material layers.

The organic light emitting unit 6 is formed on the third layer 23. Theorganic light emitting unit 6 includes a pixel circuit unit including athin film transistor 61, and an organic light emitting diode 62 fromwhich light is emitted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention referring to FIG. 2,the thin film transistor 61 is formed on the third layer 23. Althoughnot shown, a plurality of the thin film transistors 61 may be formed inone pixel, and a capacitor (not shown) may be simultaneously formedwhile forming the thin film transistor 61.

The thin film transistor 61 includes a semiconductor active layer 611formed on the third layer 23.

The semiconductor active layer 611 may be formed of amorphous orpolycrystalline silicon, but is not limited thereto, and may be formedof a semiconductor oxide. For example, the semiconductor active layer611 may be a G-I-Z-O layer or a(In2O3)b(Ga2O3)c(ZnO) layer, wherein a,b, and c are real numbers satisfying a≧0, b≧0, and c>0.

A gate insulation film 612 is formed on the third layer 23 such as tocover the semiconductor active layer 611, and a gate electrode 613 isformed on the gate insulation film 612.

An interlayer insulation film 614 is formed on the gate insulation film612 such as to cover the gate electrode 613, and a source electrode 615a and a drain electrode 615 b may be formed on the interlayer insulationfilm 614 to contact the semiconductor active layer 611 through contactholes, respectively.

The structure of the thin film transistor 61 is not limited to theabove, and one of various structures of a thin film transistor may beapplied.

A planarization film 616 may be formed to cover the thin film transistor61. The planarization film 616 may be a single or multiple layerswherein a top surface is planate. The planarization film 616 may beformed of an inorganic material and/or an organic material.

A pixel electrode 621 is formed on the planarization film 616, and thepixel electrode 621 is connected to the drain electrode 615 b of thethin film transistor 61 through a via hole formed on the planarizationfilm 616.

A pixel defining film 617 is formed on the planarization film 616 suchas to cover edges of the pixel electrode 621. An organic light emittinglayer 623 and a counter electrode 622 are sequentially stacked on thepixel electrode 621. The counter electrode 622 may be a common electrodethroughout all pixels.

The organic light emitting layer 623 may be a low molecular or highmolecular organic film. When the low molecular organic film is used, ahole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an emissionlayer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electroninjection layer (EIL) may be stacked on each other in a single ormultiple structure, and organic materials, such as copper phthalocyanine(CuPc), N,N′-Di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N′-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB), ortris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), may be used. The low molecularorganic film may be formed via a vacuum deposition method. Here, theHIL, the HTL, the ETL, and the HIL may be commonly applied to red,green, and blue pixels as a common layer.

The pixel electrode 621 may function as an anode, and the counterelectrode 622 may function as a cathode. Of course, polarities of thepixel electrode 621 and counter electrode 622 may be changed.

In a top-emission type where an image is realized towards the counterelectrode 622, the pixel electrode 621 may be a reflective electrode andthe counter electrode 622 may be a transparent electrode. Here, thepixel electrode 621 may include a reflection film formed of silver (Ag),magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au),nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Jr), chromium (Cr), lithium (Li),calcium (Ca), or a compound thereof, and indium tin oxide (ITO), indiumzinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), or indium oxide (In2O3), which havea high work function. Also, the counter electrode 622 may be a thin filmformed of a metal having a low work function, such as Ag, Mg, Al, Pt,Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Jr, Cr, Li, or Ca, so as to be a semi-transmissionreflective film.

In a bottom-emission type wherein an image is realized towards the pixelelectrode 621, the pixel electrode 621 may be a transparent electrodeand the counter electrode 622 may be a reflective electrode. Here, thepixel electrode 621 may include ITO, IZO, ZnO, or In2O3, and the counterelectrode 622 may include Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Jr, Cr, Li, orCa.

In a dual-type wherein an image is realized towards both of the pixelelectrode 621 and the counter electrode 622, the pixel electrode 621 andthe counter electrode 622 may be transparent electrodes.

A barrier 618 may be formed on the counter electrode 622. The barrier618 may be formed of an organic material and/or an inorganic material,such as polyacrylate and/or aluminum oxide.

The third film 3 is disposed on the barrier 618, and the fourth film 4is disposed on the third film 3.

The fourth film 4 may include a thermal resistant organic material, suchas polyimide.

The fifth film 5 may be formed on the fifth surface 42 of the fourthfilm 4. The fifth film 5 may have a structure, in which a layer formedof an inorganic material and a layer formed of an organic material arealternately stacked in the form of multi-layers. For example, the fifthfilm 5 may have a structure, in which a fourth layer 51, a fifth layer52, and a sixth layer 53 are sequentially stacked on the fifth surface42 of the fourth film 4. Here, the fourth and sixth layers 51 and 53 maybe formed of an inorganic material, such as silicon nitride, siliconoxide, or aluminum oxide, and the fifth layer 52 may be formed of anorganic material, such as polyacrylate. Alternatively, the fourth andsixth layers 51 and 53 may be formed of an organic material, and thefifth layer 52 may be formed of an inorganic material. Alternatively,the fourth through sixth layers 51 through 53 may be formed of differenttypes of inorganic materials. The fourth film 4 may include a single ormultiple inorganic material layers. In FIG. 2, the fifth film 5 isdisposed between the third film 3 and the fourth film 4.

Next, a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting displaydevice will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, the first film 1 is formed on a first supportsubstrate 81. The first support substrate 81 enables the first film 1 tobe easily handled, and may be a transparent glass substrate.

The first film 1 may be formed by coating the first support substrate 81with an organic material, and then by hardening the organic materialformed on the first support substrate 81. The first film 1 may be formedof high thermal resistant polyimide usable even at 500° C.

A first combination layer 811 may be further disposed between the firstsupport substrate 81 and the first film 1. As described below, the firstcombination layer 811 enables the first support substrate 81 and thefirst film 1 to be easily detached from each other upon being exposed toa laser beam. The first combination layer 811 may be formed of amorphoussilicon that may generate a phase change by a laser beam, but is notlimited thereto. Also, the first combination layer 811 may not beincluded.

When the first combination layer 811 is formed on the first supportsubstrate 81, the first film 1 is formed on the first combination layer811. Accordingly, the first surface 11 of the first film 1 contacts thefirst combination layer 811.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first film 1 may have a smaller area than thefirst support substrate 81.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the second film 2 is formed on the firstsupport substrate 81 such as to cover the second and third surfaces 12and 13 of the first film 1. When the first combination layer 811 isformed on the first support substrate 81, the second film 2 is formed onthe first combination layer 811. As shown in FIG. 2, the second film 2may include an inorganic material layer.

Here, the inorganic material layer may be formed of an aluminum oxidefilm using an ALD or CVD device at a high temperature, or multiple filmsof silicon nitride/silicon oxide.

As such, by forming the first film 1 using high thermal resistantpolyimide and forming the inorganic material layer of the second film 2at a high temperature, a denser inorganic material layer may be formed,thereby increasing moisture and oxygen blocking characteristics of thesecond film 2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the organic light emitting unit 6 is formed onthe second film 2.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the side barrier 7 and the third film 3 areformed on the second film 2. The third film 3 may be disposed to besurrounded by the side barrier 7. Accordingly, the side surface 31 ofthe third film 3 may contact the side barrier 7.

The side barrier 7 may include a hybrid polymer having excellent barriercharacteristics, such as a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer, forexample, an organosiloxane-based hybrid organic/inorganic polymer.Alternatively, the side barrier 7 may be formed of a compound containingmethyltriethoxysilane and tetraethylorthosilicate. The side barrier 7may be hardened via heat or a laser beam.

Accordingly, the side barrier 7 may block moisture and oxygen permeationfrom the side surface 31 of the third film 3 including the adhesive.

When such a structure is applied to a device having a large screen areasuch as a television (TV), a width of the side barrier 7 may beincreased due to a margin at edges of a screen, and thus barriercharacteristics may be further improved.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 8, a second support substrate 82 isprepared. The second support substrate 82 functions as a support forhandling of the fourth film 4, and may be a transparent glass substrate.

The fourth film 4 may be formed by coating the second support substrate82 with an organic material, and by hardening the organic materialformed on the second support substrate 82.

As shown in FIG. 8, a de-bonding layer 821 is further disposed betweenthe second support substrate 82 and the fourth film 4. The de-bondinglayer 821 is formed in a region A of the second support substrate 82,wherein an area of the region A is larger than an area of a regioncorresponding to the organic light emitting unit 6 as described below.In the region A wherein the de-bonding layer 821 is formed, the secondsupport substrate 82 and the fourth film 4 are not attached to eachother, or are easily de-bonded without a laser beam irradiation due tothe de-bonding layer 821. The de-bonding layer 821 may be formed bysurface-treating the second support substrate 82.

A second combination layer 822 may be further disposed between thesecond support substrate 82 and the fourth film 4 outside the region Awhere the de-bonding layer 821 is formed. As described below, the secondcombination layer 822 enables the second support substrate 82 and thefourth film 4 to be easily detached from each other upon being exposedto a laser beam. The second combination layer 822 may be formed ofamorphous silicon that may generate a phase change by a laser beam, butis not limited thereto. Also, the second combination layer 822 may notbe included.

According to such a structure, the fourth film 4 is combined to thesecond support substrate 82 in a region where the second combinationlayer 822 is formed, and the fourth film 4 and the second supportsubstrate 82 are detached from each other by irradiating the secondcombination layer 822 with a laser beam.

The fourth film 4 is formed on the second combination layer 822 and thede-bonding layer 821. Accordingly, the fourth surface 41 of the fourthfilm 4 contacts the second combination layer 822 and the de-bondinglayer 821.

Then, the fifth film 5 is formed on the fifth surface 42 of the fourthfilm 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fifth film 5 may include an inorganic materiallayer.

Here, the inorganic material layer may be formed of an aluminum oxidefilm by using an ALD or CVD device at a high temperature, or a multiplefilms of silicon nitride/silicon oxide.

By forming the fourth film 4 using high thermal resistant polyimide andforming the inorganic material layer of the fifth film 5 at a hightemperature, a denser inorganic material layer may be formed, therebyincreasing moisture and oxygen blocking characteristics of the fifthfilm 5.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the film structure built on the second supportsubstrate 82 and the film structure built on the first support substrate81 are combined to each other. Here, the fifth film 5 contacts the thirdfilm 3 and the side barrier 7, and then is pressed such that the fifthfilm 5 is combined to the third film 3.

Alternatively, the side barrier 7 may be formed after the third andfifth films 3 and 5 are combined to each other.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, a laser beam is applied from outside thesecond support substrate 82. Here, the laser beam is applied to thesecond combination layer 822 outside the region A where the de-bondinglayer 821 is formed. Thereby, the second support substrate 82 and thefourth film 4 are detached from each other, as shown in FIG. 11, througha phase change of the second combination layer 822. By not applying thelaser beam to the region A where the de-bonding layer 821 is formed, theorganic light emitting unit 6 is prevented from being exposed to thelaser beam, and thus the organic light emitting unit 6 is prevented fromdeteriorating by the laser beam. Alternatively, the laser beam may beapplied only on the second combination layer 822, and at this time, theside barrier 7 may be simultaneously hardened.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, a laser beam is applied from outside thefirst support substrate 81 so that the first support substrate 81 isdetached from the first and second films 1 and 2 by a phase change ofthe first combination layer 811.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, since a circuit unit including the thin filmtransistor 61 is formed below the organic light emitting unit 6 formedon the second film 2, an adverse effect to the organic light emittingdiode 62 may be reduced even if a laser beam is irradiated in generalfrom the bottom of the first support substrate 81.

However, alternatively as shown in FIG. 13, the de-bonding layer 821 maybe also formed on the first support substrate 81 in the region A, whichis larger than the region corresponding to the organic light emittingunit 6, and the first combination layer 811 may be formed outside thede-bonding layer 821, thereby separating the first support substrate 81from the first and second films 1 and 2 by applying a laser beam only tothe first combination layer 811 outside the de-bonding layer 821. Here,since a laser beam is blocked from being applied to the organic lightemitting unit 6, quality of the organic light emitting unit 6 may befurther improved.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understoodby those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form anddetails may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the following claims.

1-18. (canceled)
 19. An organic light emitting display devicecomprising: a first film formed of an organic material, and having firstand second surfaces facing each other and a third surface perpendicularto the first and second surfaces; a second film formed on the firstfilm, wherein the second film is formed from electrically insulatingmaterial; an organic light emitting unit disposed on the second film,the organic light emitting unit comprising: a thin film transistorformed on the second film; a pixel electrode electrically connected tothe thin film transistor; a pixel defining film covering edges of thepixel electrode; and a counter electrode formed on the organic lightemitting layer; a third film disposed on the second film and coveringthe organic light emitting unit; and a fourth film disposed on the thirdfilm, formed of an organic material, and having fourth and fifthsurfaces facing each other, the fifth surface facing the third film. 20.The organic light emitting display device of claim 19, furthercomprising a side barrier disposed on the second film and surroundingthe organic light emitting unit.
 21. The organic light emitting displaydevice of claim 20, wherein the side barrier contacts at least a sidesurface of the third film.
 22. The organic light emitting display deviceof claim 20, wherein the side barrier comprises a hybrid polymer. 23.The organic light emitting display device of claim 20, wherein the sidebarrier forms a closed loop.
 24. The organic light emitting displaydevice of claim 19, further comprising a fifth film disposed between thefifth surface of the fourth film and the third film, the fifth filmincluding an inorganic layer.
 25. The organic light emitting displaydevice of claim 19, wherein the third film comprises an adhesive. 26.The organic light emitting display device of claim 19, furthercomprising a barrier being disposed between the third film and theorganic light emitting unit to cover the organic light emitting unit.